Chapter 95: The Temple Sacrifice Unraveled

“Two Temple Gods?”

“How can there be two auras of a Temple God?!”

Before the City Lord’s Residence, the four men stood in a tense standoff, each momentarily stunned.

They said nothing; the eyes behind their masks flickered with intensity.

From afar, a Temple God aura surged, mingled with violent, terrifying blood energy, while the one inside the City Lord’s Residence was purer—a wild, intertwined wave of divine power exuding overwhelming authority.

Both auras carried an imposing weight of hierarchal suppression.

Yet the burst from afar seemed infused with the raw, tempestuous blood energy of a battle-hardened warrior.

It roared like an untamed beast, stretching its limbs and bellowing toward the heavens and the earth.

“What’s happening?”

The Spirit Infant Cult Leader squinted. “Didn’t Cao Guang say we would only sacrifice one Temple God? So why is there another surge of Temple God energy?”

“Sacrificing two in one city? Are we treating the Temple God like a circus pet?”

If Feilei City harbored two Temple Gods…

It would be far too dangerous!

This was not at all part of the plan!

Li Qingshan was equally astonished. Clutching his Horned Hammer, his furrowed brows under his Cat Face Mask resembled dark strokes.

Things had taken an unforeseen turn.

He even hesitated, contemplating an escape.

With two Temple Gods, he was sure he’d end up beaten to death.

Especially since, in Cao Guang’s plan for the Thousand Buddha Carved Feast, he even intended to elevate Feilei City’s Bizarre Temple to a Jiuyue level.

That would mean a Jiuyue-level Temple God…

Unless at its peak, one might stand no chance.

Moreover, this extra, unplanned Temple God was completely off-script…

Li Qingshan’s feet were already itching to run.

Experts from the Corpse God Sect, wearing large-nosed and wide-eyed masks, were likewise preparing to retreat.

The Spirit Infant Cult Leader even turned, tugging at the hem of his crimson robe, as he began to slip away.

…

…

Inside the City Lord’s Residence.

A dense, coppery stench of blood filled a vast secret chamber.

Cao Guang knelt at the center in a white robe, his hair unbound. Intricate grooves were carved into a wooden tray on the floor, oozing thick crimson blood, surrounded by various postured Spirit Infant Wooden Carvings.

These carvings were the masterpieces of Feilei City’s renowned woodcarvers.

Cao Guang had spent a fortune just to secure their services.

But his money… was never so easy to part with.

With a forceful clap of his palms, Cao Guang chanted obscure incantations from the Three-Eyed, Furious True Sovereign Divine Foundation Method.

It sounded just like a sacrificial hymn.

His expression was one of pious reverence, as if sacrificing his very soul in an act of faith to gain power and transform.

Meanwhile,

Every woodcarver who had labored on the Thousand Buddha Carved Feast in Feilei City felt a sudden buzzing in their minds, their will drained as if a deity had stripped them of their faith.

They shuffled out like zombies, almost mechanically kneeling on the rain-washed Blue Stone Pavement with arms outstretched in devout surrender.

Tendrils of divine essence slithered from them like snakes, wriggling erratically as if countless rivers were merging toward the City Lord’s Residence.

Inside the City Lord’s Residence.

Cao Qingyuan’s hair stood on end as he backed away several steps, unwilling to step further inside.

Yet inside, his heart burned with fanaticism—the power of the Temple God…

This was his chance to break through to the mid Divine Foundation.

At his current level, it might take him ages—even a lifetime—to accumulate enough strength.

Harnessing the Temple God’s power was by far the simplest and most direct path.

Just like his father, who had abandoned his own innate path to higher realms and planned instead to rely on the Temple God’s might.

The emergence of a Bizarre Temple among mortals was a beacon for cultivators at their wits’ end.

It opened a door to heights previously unreachable.

As for the cost…

The necessary sacrifices…

It hardly mattered to these cultivators.

After all, it was only the lives of mere pigs and dogs that would be lost.

Cao Qingyuan eventually retreated to the doorway, his expression still devout; he yearned for the Temple God’s power.

Sacrifice!

Worship!

Using the blood and divine essence of a thousand Spirit Infants, along with a thousand wooden carvings—though not true Divine Wooden Sculptures, they could still extract divine power from the master carvers’ Spirit Infant Wooden Carvings.

These… were all offerings!

God, awaken!

Boom——

Above, a thunderclap shattered the sky.

Within the secret chamber of the City Lord’s Residence, the floor began to collapse and crumble, sending countless dust particles swirling like shattered gravel in a storm.

Cao Guang opened his eyes; a deep line appeared between his brows and his white robe was intermittently stained with fresh blood.

He kept retreating, a satisfied grin briefly crossing his face.

“The Thousand Infant Carving Sacrifice succeeded!”

“The Temple God has accepted our offerings!”

Once his words faded,

the entire secret chamber erupted in a dramatic change—debris piled up to form a layout identical to that of the Bizarre Temple outside, complete with an altar, flickering red candles, and the majestic statue of the Three-Eyed, Furious True Sovereign Spirit Infant Temple God!

Indeed, there was even an altar and meticulously arranged red candles, with that very statue seated regally atop it.

Only, the statue trembled slightly, as if about to rise, though it seemed too weak to stand.

Its eyes burned with untamed fury, and the third eye on its forehead glowed subtly.

Everything around began to shift.

Cao Qingyuan sensed an invisible wave—the secret chamber seemed like a two-faced puzzle, flipping to reveal a completely new image!

Or perhaps the Bizarre Temple was slowly displacing the City Lord’s Residence!

Meanwhile, before the statue, Cao Guang knelt.

The line on his brow shone brightly as the blood on him deepened.

“Temple God, please grace the mortal realm.”

“Let my body become your divine vessel!”

“Awaken——”

Cao Guang spread his arms wide, his face steeped in devotion as his white robe transformed into a glaring blood-red.

Cao Qingyuan watched in terror as dark energy seeped from the Temple Spirit Wooden Carving, a pressure so intense it nearly froze his own divine aura, pervading the entire chamber.

Thud!

Sweat beaded on his forehead; it was the first time Cao Qingyuan truly understood how extreme the method of calling upon a deity could be.

Father Cao Guang planned to let his own flesh replace the Temple Spirit Wooden Carving and allow the Temple God to incarnate within his body…

This… was madness!

Was this Cao Guang’s planned method not only to shatter his own Divine Foundation but also to ascend to the Divine Appearance?

But if the Temple God took over his body, would he still be Cao Guang?

His flesh, eroded by divine power, might ultimately become nothing more than a cursed guardian corpse!

It was far too dangerous—like dancing with a tiger or walking a tightrope!

Yet Cao Qingyuan could not dissuade his father. The Thousand Buddha Carved Feast and this sacrificial ritual had been in motion for too long—this was the sole beacon of hope at the end of the road, impossible to abandon with a few words.

Cao Qingyuan could barely breathe as he stared at the sight of dark, writhing inscriptions crawling from the Temple Spirit Wooden Carving into Cao Guang’s body.

His body trembled imperceptibly.

Time passed in a blur…

Until all the black energy within the Temple Spirit Wooden Carving surged into Cao Guang’s flesh, coating him in countless wriggling, black tadpole-like patterns that crept up to the line on his brow.

Then, the line split apart…

As if it had abruptly opened its eyes.

The third eye—opened!

Only an endless, searing red filled his vision, intense like a branding iron.

Pain contorted across Cao Guang’s face.

“Something’s not right…”

“No… This isn’t how it should be… Where is the divine power? The Temple God’s power?! Where is the strength I need?!”

Cao Guang clutched his face as countless tadpole markings writhed.

The divine power… was so feeble, he nearly believed the Temple God within him was nothing but a cheap imitation of Yangxing Ruhe!

“With such meager divine power, what use is it?! What can it possibly do?!”

Cao Guang roared in anguish—his fury, despair, and confusion laid bare!

This wasn’t supposed to happen!

Suddenly, his face contorted in anger and sensitivity, like a hurt child whose pride had been trampled; his voice turned shrill and desperate.

“Shut up!”

“Ah——!”

“You’re not allowed to speak!”

Boom——!

Cao Guang screamed, his hair wildly disheveled, as the writhing tadpole patterns erupted and the crimson of his third eye deepened!

Meanwhile, from the direction of the Xu Family Compound, a surge of Temple God divine power soared upward, as if heralding the arrival of a second Temple God.

Cao Guang’s eyes filled with furious insanity as his will was completely suppressed—overtaken by the overwhelming force of divine fury.

“Thief… Thief…”

“Ah, you skull-touching thief!”

Boom!

Transformed into the embodiment of the Temple God, Cao Guang roared and became a streak of blood-red light that blasted out of the ruined Bizarre Temple occupying the City Lord’s Residence!

Thud!

Cao Qingyuan, near the doorway, was suddenly overwhelmed—his divine aura nearly burst from his body, his divine foundation on the brink of shattering.

He collapsed, gasping heavily; his low-tier Jiuyue 【Fen Nu Mi Tuo】 divine power was utterly no match for the Temple God’s might.

Was this… the invincible Temple God of the same echelon?

Yet, Cao Qingyuan awkwardly staggered to his feet.

“Something’s wrong… a mishap has occurred…”

Cao Qingyuan wiped away the blood oozing from his mouth and nose, his face shifting with alarm.

Then, he dashed toward the treasury of the City Lord’s Residence.

…

…

Li Che felt a surge of terrifying power coursing through his body.

His state was excellent!

Better than ever before!

It was as if the bonds of his mortal limits had shattered, his flesh now released from all constraints!

After shattering the divine chess piece of the Temple God’s power, his Ascending Stance invigorated him—each breath drawing in the Temple God’s divine energy seamlessly into his flesh.

Like a car needing fuel, the Temple God’s power became his energy.

He could even channel it into devastating attacks.

“In Ascending Stance, the fusion of flesh and divine power is remarkably perfect… even more harmonious than I imagined.”

Li Che marveled as his transformation took hold, the merging of his body and divine power becoming second nature.

After all, martial cultivation and blood energy rarely mix.

Martial cultivation mainly strengthens the body to resist divine corruption, while divine power and blood are distinct forces.

Yet now, in Ascending Stance, the Temple God’s divine power blended with his flesh flawlessly.

Every martial technique he threw carried an undercurrent of divine energy—power drawn directly from the Temple God!

Though short-lived, as the divine power would eventually wane and the Ascending Stance would collapse.

Ascending Stance was like harnessing divine strength—each step propelling him to greater heights!

“So… the stronger the Temple God’s divine power, the greater the strength gained from Ascending Stance?”

Li Che pondered thoughtfully.

“It seems… I must visit a higher-ranked Bizarre Temple sometime soon.”

After all, Temple God’s divine power…

Once absorbed, it was inexhaustible.

Dark clouds gathered as rain pounded the blood-soaked ground.

Xu Family Old Master was dead.

Just as he had lamented before his death: ‘Why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken?’

Facing Li Che’s terrifying Ascending Stance, Xu Family Old Master knew his limits all too well.

Li Che’s strike was barely a tap—like driving a car in neutral without stepping on the accelerator—yet his overwhelming force shattered Xu Family Old Master’s organs, exploding his divine foundation and snuffing out his life.

Beyond mere hierarchal suppression, Li Che felt his physical strength surge immensely.

Though his blood energy might only barely reach the Divine Vein stage, his body had grown exponentially stronger.

Even his inner qi had transformed into a savage, blood-red force.

“I wonder how this compares to a true Master of Blood Energy?”

Li Che shook his head, letting the thought go.

He lifted his gaze; his pupils shimmered with a faint, golden smoky aura as he calmly looked into the distance.

That was the direction of the City Lord’s Residence.

Just as the Three-Eyed Temple God sensed him, he too perceived the Temple God’s presence.

His jet-black hair, cascading down to his waist like a cloak, framed the surge of Ascending Stance; the hazy, fiery inner qi around him rippled as if his muscles were coiled dragons, his neck and spine seeming to roar with might.

Perfect timing…

Xu Family Old Master was too fragile—a mere snap at a touch.

He simply wasn’t strong enough.

Perfect, for Li Che also wished to personally feel just how potent the Temple God’s power truly was.

Boom——!

A vivid red flash shot in from afar, splintering the raindrops into a burst of misty powder!

With a dull thud, the ground on Long Street caved in as radioactive, web-like cracks rapidly expanded, churning the puddles into turbulent waves.

Twisted, scarlet divine energy, like radiating streams, poured forth continuously.

Cao Guang’s exposed skin was riddled with writhing tadpole patterns, and the third eye on his brow flared an intense, blood-red glow.

“Thief…”

A sharp voice issued from Cao Guang’s throat, like that of a child in the midst of voice change—angry and piercing!

Li Qingshan, clad in a Cute Cow Mask, stood tall, his broad, almost demonic back lending him a fierce look as he regarded the figure before him—one not quite resembling Cao Guang.

Li Qingshan chuckled. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Thief, huh—!”

Cao Guang screamed as his body slammed downward; in a ten-meter radius around him, the air trembled in terror—raindrops boiling like they were on a scorching stove, bouncing like marbles.

“Come on, feel it.”

Li Qingshan smiled.

With a swift sweep of his fingers, the remaining seven Divine Chess Pieces floated up, suspended before him like miniature black holes.

Just moments before, he had shattered one to fuel his Three-Eyed, Furious True Sovereign Divine Foundation Method—leaving him with these seven as his only lifeline.

The Temple God’s agonized scream abruptly fell silent, as if its throat had been clamped shut.

…

…

The City Lord’s Residence lay in ruins, and amidst the rubble…

a Bizarre Temple radiating a potent Temple God aura emerged, as if tearing through the earth into the heart of the city.

Cracked, web-like fissures snaked out from the center of the Bizarre Temple like the sprawling branches of a colossal tree reaching across the city.

“Feilei City is finished…”

“Cao Guang… you’re ruthless—you care nothing for the people of Feilei City. In your eyes, they are no better than pigs and dogs.”

Li Qingshan’s face darkened with anger.

The migration of the Bizarre Temple into the city meant its divine power would soon corrupt the entire place. Stay too long, and everyone would be doomed to become cursed guardian corpses.

This was why the major families, upon hearing of Cao Guang’s plan for the Thousand Buddha Carved Feast, had decided to take their chances and leave Feilei City.

Meanwhile, with Cao Guang now wielding the Temple God’s power—and even able to command these cursed corpses…

At first, Cao Guang had planned to sacrifice not only a thousand Spirit Infants, but the entirety of Feilei City!

“Worthless scum!”

Even Li Qingshan couldn’t help but roar his discontent, his face turning an iron-gray in fury.

But in truth, this was the state of many remote, border cities in the realm these days—cultivators resorted to any means to harness power from the Bizarre Temple, while various sects quietly stirred trouble.

In these times, the common people suffered immensely.

Experts from both the Corpse God Sect and the Spirit Infant Cult Leader watched intently.

Beneath his mask, the Spirit Infant Cult Leader beamed with excitement. “It’s done, it’s done…”

“But why do two Temple Gods seem to be clashing?”

“Near Feilei City… there’s only one Bizarre Temple. Where did two Temple Gods come from?”

The Spirit Infant Cult Leader was utterly confused.

Not only him—Li Qingshan and the experts from the Corpse God Sect were equally baffled.

Boom!

As Cao Guang, overtaken by the Temple God, blasted out from the ruined City Lord’s Residence like a blood serpent streaking across the sky,

several onlookers’ eyes flashed with excitement, eager to catch the spectacle.

“A battle between Temple Gods?”

“A once-in-a-millennium event… and a rogue Temple God crashing the party?”

Li Qingshan grinned, his anticipation palpable.

Then, after a moment’s pause, he suppressed his excitement, glancing at his Horned Hammer and then at the experts from the Corpse God Sect and the Spirit Infant Cult Leader.

His eyes, hidden behind his Cat Face Mask, turned cold and ruthless as murderous intent welled up.

If Temple Gods were destined to clash, then let them fight amongst themselves…

He would smash them.

All that trash… had to die!

Beat them to death and then run!

As long as he wasn’t pinned down by two Temple Gods simultaneously, escape would be easy.

Do it if you want!

Li Qingshan stepped forward, unleashing a torrent of divine energy from his Horned Hammer that stilled all winds and storms.

He wavered, his foot skimming the puddles as splashes erupted, charging straight toward the diminutive Spirit Infant Cult Leader!

“Li Qingshan, are you out of your mind?! The Temple God has already appeared—aren’t you leaving?”

“Aren’t you afraid of being trapped inside?!”

The Spirit Infant Cult Leader shrieked, desperately launching a counterattack.

Two experts from the Corpse God Sect struck simultaneously, unleashing surges of raw divine energy as shimmering rounds floated from behind their heads.

Li Qingshan flicked his sleeve; his Horned Hammer descended lightly only to suddenly explode with earth-shattering, terrifying force!

“Hmph… all I want is to kill you lot!”

…

…

The rain continued to fall.

It gathered along Cao Guang’s chin, dripping like a string of beads one after another.

Cao Guang felt his consciousness return to his body.

He was numb, and his anger flared!

The Temple God’s divine power was pitifully weak—as if it had long been drained dry.

This Temple God, for which he had labored for years to orchestrate a city-wide sacrifice…

Was it even worthy?!

“What a rip-off god!”

Cao Guang gritted his teeth, his heart cold, now only hoping that the scant divine power of the Temple God would at least push his cultivation into the post-mid Divine Foundation—nothing more.

Hmm?

Suddenly, Cao Guang regained full control of his body.

He surveyed the scene before him.

There, a mask—a Cute Cow Mask.

Then came the overwhelming surge of blood energy and divine pressure!

“Ogre?!”

Cao Guang’s eyes narrowed in shock.

Unbelievable emotions surged within him…

What the hell?!

Why is it you again, you cow!?

But what truly chilled him was…

The seven pitch-black chess pieces, hovering before the Ogre, exuding an intensely potent Temple God aura.

It turned out that the divine power he so desperately craved was right there—within reach.

Wait!

Cao Guang suddenly understood why his consciousness had reasserted control of his body.

“You think you can show off? Bring it on!”

Cao Guang barely had time to scream before a vicious kick sent him flying in a burst of bloody mist.

ps: A new month—please vote for my monthly ticket! Let’s see if I can crack the top five; Old Li humbly requests your support!